Are We Fluent in Faith? Exploring a Language of Reverence

Part of Whole Church Religious Education

This activity helps us begin to see the variation in our comfort with different words, to spark our capacity for growth and healing where hurt may live now…and to understand others better.

Reading

First, have the group share a reading from Jeanne Harris Nieuwejaar’s book Fluent in Faith (Kindle) — or the UU World article Becoming Fluent in Faith.

Listen

Second, listen to this audio. It ends with a list of Nieuwejaar’s list of faithful words that can be used for the activity

The Power of Words: A Language of Reverence

The German philosopher Wittgenstein said “The limits of my language are the limits of my life.” Exploring our comfort and discomfort with language of reverence is an important part of expanding our “faith fluency”. This is essential work in a faith as diverse as ours, where not everyone believes the same thing — and some words that are painful to one person are a source of great strength and meaning to another.

In Person Activity

Use a set of Deep Talk Blocks with Nieuwejaar’s list of faithful words:

  • God, Hope, Covenant, Faith, Sacrament, Prayer, Doctrine, Sanctuary, Sin, Atonement, Blessing, Grace, Mercy, Salvation
  • Add any words that have a unique or challenging context in your congregation
  • Add UUA Shared Values: Equity, Justice, Pluralism, Transformation, Interdependence, Generosity, Love, Accountability

Have participants consider their comfort with each word, using VERY COMFORTABLE, COMFORTABLE, NEUTRAL, SOMEWHAT UNCOMFORTABLE, VERY UNCOMFORTABLE or use green, yellow, and red stickers on a flip chart, or colored index cards may be used.

After a discussion of the activity and your group’s responses, offer art supplies or ask participants to return here and share pictures, poems, or quotes that embody and reflect their understanding of the words in question. Small groups can continue the conversation!

Online Activity

Are We Fluent in Faith? Exploring a Language of Reverence (Padlet)

3 Jenga bocks with the words "embody, challenge, lead" written on them next to a colorful candle holder and on top of bits of blue and green cloth.

UU WORLD ARTICLE: BECOMING FLUENT IN FAITH

It is because I cherish so deeply the life-affirming possibilities of Unitarian Universalism that I care about strengthening the ways we talk about our spiritual lives. Community and dialogue are at the heart of our way of being religious. It is through dialogue that we open to one another, speaking of our own spiritual journeys, insights, and questions and hearing those of others. This is how community is established and deepened. It is how we accomplish “acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth within our congregations,” as our Third Principle affirms. Inescapably, language is the primary vehicle for this process. Whether our spiritual growth is enhanced or hampered is influenced by the extent to which we use language deeply and well.

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